Why Don't You Listen?
by kAyLa7
Summary: My first FF, actually a songfic to 'What I Really Meant to Say'. H/M Please R


Why Don't You Listen?  
  
Author's Note: JAG and it's characters don't belong to me…tear They belong to CBS and David Bellisario…(lucky dogs!) Anyways, on with the story!  
  
  
  
It took me by surprise  
  
When I saw you standin' there  
  
Close enough to touch  
  
Breathin' the same air  
  
You asked me how I'd been  
  
I guess that's when I smiled and said just fine  
  
Oh, but baby I was lyin'  
  
Mac sat bolt upright in a cold sweat. Her bedside clock read 3am. She groaned before slowly rising and shuffling to the kitchen. She quickly gulped down a glass of milk before heading to her living room. 'Another night with no sleep.' She thought, 'The Admiral probably wouldn't mind if I came into work a little early…' Grabbing her uniform and coat from the closet, she made her way out the door.  
  
Harm looked at his clock. It was 3:30am. He cursed at himself for waking up so early, until he remembered the dream he had. He sighed and picked up the phone. He didn't usually call his partner this early in the morning, and he hoped she wouldn't throttle him for it.  
  
The phone rang and rang. No one answered. Harm hung up and tried again, but to no avail. He began to worry about Mac. Even at this early in the morning, she would probably answer the phone if it rang. 'What if something is wrong?' he thought, hurrying out to his car.  
  
Mac's door was locked, and no one was answering it. Harm pounded on the door, but all it got him was extremely sore hands. He racked his brain until he figured out the only other logical place his colleague could be. He headed to the JAG office.  
  
Mac was sleeping soundly over a stack of papers when Harm found her. He smiled, and tapped his friend on the shoulder. "Mac, wake up…" he whispered.  
  
"Five more minutes!" groaned Mac, slapping his hand away. She quickly settled back down into her slumber.  
  
"Mac, you're late for work." smiled Harm. He backed away from Mac's desk. He'd never seen her wake up that fast in his life.  
  
She blinked, and then suddenly remembered where she was. "What are you doing here?" she asked, "We still have another 5 hours and 32 minutes before we have to be at work."  
  
"Then why are you here?" Harm countered. He smiled at her expectantly.  
  
"I couldn't sleep, so I decided to come in a little early." She replied. She smiled to try and convince him of the truth of her statement, but she could tell that he wasn't going to buy it this time.  
  
"You came in to work five and a half hours early? You okay, Mac?" the concern in his voice was genuine.  
  
"I'm fine." Mac lied. "I just had some trouble sleeping is all. I'll go home now. I promise." She smiled.  
  
Harm laughed, and tossed her her coat. She slipped it on and followed him out of the building. Before he got in his car, Harm turned around, again smiling at his friend. "You sure you're okay, Ninja girl?" he asked.  
  
"Fine." She sighed. "I'm just fine." She got in her car and turned the radio up.  
  
'I don't think you're fine.' Harm thought. 'I know something is wrong. I just wish I knew what it was. Why won't you tell me, Mac?'  
  
Mac drove silently. The radio, as loud as it was, could not drown out the memories of the terrible dream she had had. It was awful. She didn't know what it meant, but for some reason, she was scared of what she saw. Her car swerved off the road as she succumbed to sleep once again. From behind her, Harm stared in shock as his best friend's car went off the road and slammed into a tree. He stomped on his breaks and ran to her car, calling 911 on his way.  
  
"My name is Harmon Rabb Jr., and I'm half way down Main St, right past the gas station. Yes. There's been an accident……"  
  
What I really meant to say  
  
Is I'm dyin' here inside  
  
And I miss you more each day  
  
There's not a night I haven't cried  
  
And baby, here's the truth  
  
I'm still in love with you  
  
(And, that's what I really meant to say)  
  
Three days later, Mac woke up groggily in a hospital bed. Harm was sleeping in a chair to her right, but woke up almost immediately when he realized what had happened. Mac laughed. "Welcome to Earth, Sleeping Beauty." She smiled.  
  
"I could say the same for you." Said Harm, "How you feeling?"  
  
"Like I was hit by a bus," Mac mumbled seriously.  
  
"Close enough." Harm smiled. "You ran your car off the road when you fell asleep at the wheel."  
  
"I fell asleep at the wheel?" Mac couldn't believe it.  
  
"You've been asleep for three days." Said Harm, "I was beginning gto get a little worried."  
  
"You've been here all this time?" Mac was flattered.  
  
"I took some of my leave time." Shrugged Harm, "It was nothing."  
  
"I just can't believe I did that!" laughed Mac.  
  
"I can." Mumbled Harm," You were pretty out of it when you left the office Monday morning. You really should get some more sleep, Mac."  
  
"I can't…." she confessed.  
  
"Why? What's wrong?" asked Harm.  
  
"You wouldn't understand." She sighed. "I don't know. It's these dreams I'm having….It's like I'm seeing these terrible things happening to people, but I can't do anything about it…"  
  
"Mac, why didn't you tell me?" raged Harm. "I think that when this is all over, you should take some vacation time, try to relax a little, and get some rest. You're going to get hurt again, and I…" Harm cut himself off before he finished that sentence. "What were these dreams about? You can tell me."  
  
Mac bit down nervously on her lip. Man, he could be so pushy sometimes! And what did he mean anyway? Besides, if she told him what the dreams were about, he might…  
  
But it was too late to worry about that now. Harm had his mind set, and from the look on his face she could tell she wasn't getting out of this one.  
  
"They're about you, and Bud, and Harriet…." Mac rambled, "But mostly you…." She paused.  
  
Harm stared. "What?" he breathed. "What happens in these dreams?!"  
  
Mac was silent. Harm kept his gaze on her. "The other day, I dreamed that someone was after Harriet. Bud got angry, and he left the office, but…" Mac began to choke before she finished.  
  
"But what, Mac?" pushed Harm.  
  
"But somebody shot him, Harm! They SHOT him! In his own house." She took a deep breath. "And when you found out, you got so angry, and you threw a stack of files across your office and left. Then…"  
  
"Come on, Mac. Tell me what happened here." Harm sighed.  
  
"I tried to stop you, but you wouldn't listen, Harm, and somebody shot you. In the end, the Admiral, Harriet, and I had to go to a double funeral, and everyone was crying, and, and…." Mac began to shake.  
  
Harm wrapped her in a hug. "Come on, Mac. You know that would never happen. It was just a really bad dream."  
  
"I have dreams like that all the time, Harm!" Mac protested. "Then I can't sleep, so I just stay up. But I never imagined that I would end up wrecking because of one…"  
  
"Mac, they're just nightmares." Harm whispered. "They probably just happen because you are over worked, and really tired, and…"  
  
"Oh, really?!" Mac yelled offensively. "I don't think so, Harm. I think they happen for a reason. I'm just not sure. Maybe they're premonitions, or something…"  
  
"You're talking crazy now, Mac." shrugged Harm. "I think you need to get some rest. I'll tell the Admiral you'll be taking some time off." He walked out of the room, leaving Mac confused and angered.  
  
Mac threw her pillow at the closed door, cursing Harm's existence, and looked out her window. She could see Harm stalking to his car. He looked frustrated and angry. She sighed. "You never listen to me." She said aloud. "Why do you have to be like that?"  
  
And as you walked away  
  
The echo of my words  
  
Cut just like a knife  
  
Cut so deep it hurt  
  
I held back the tears  
  
Held on to my pride and watched you go  
  
I wonder if you'll ever know  
  
Mac was back to work a week later. The Admiral had promptly loaded her down with cases the second she walked through the door. She lugged the mountain of paper work back to her office. She was so busy sifting through her files that she didn't notice someone slip into her office. Harm cleared his throat loudly.  
  
"Welcome back." He said. "Did you get some rest during your time off?"  
  
Mac shrugged, and answered. "Yeah, I guess so." She looked up. "What are you doing here? Don't you have some cases of your own?"  
  
"Did the nightmares stop?" Harm asked suddenly. He looked straight at her and waited for her answer.  
  
She cleared her throat. "No…" she whispered. "They got worse, actually."  
  
"Mac, listen, I think…" Harm began.  
  
"I don't care what you think!" She hollered. "I know what I saw, and I don't want that happening to Bud! Or to you…." Mac trailed off.  
  
"What are the chances of something like that happening, Mac? It's extremely far-fetched if you ask me…"  
  
"I didn't ask you!" she hollered. "I just wish that for once you would listen to me! I'm worried about you."  
  
Harm sighed deeply. "Okay," he finally said, "if it will make you feel better, I won't go after any crazed lunatics for a while, and I will try and make sure Bud doesn't, either."  
  
Mac's face lit up with a smile of relief. "Thank you, Harm!" she jumped up and hugged him. "Now go away," she laughed. "I have tons of work to do."  
  
Harm, who was almost taken aback by his partner's sudden mood swing, quickly left Mac's office. Mac set back to doing her work. It hadn't been but a few hours since she and Harm had talked when the Admiral called her to his office. She didn't think much of it, especially because she was just back to work. She headed to his office.  
  
"The Admiral will see you now." Said Tiner.  
  
Mac quietly entered the Admiral's office. "You wanted to see me, sir?" she asked.  
  
The Admiral turned in his chair, and looked her in the eyes. "Colonel, we have a little problem…" he began. "At ease." He ordered.  
  
Mac sat down, and prepared herself for what the Admiral was about to tell her. She began to twiddle her thumbs as she calmly waited for the Admiral to speak. He stood up and began to pace the room.  
  
"What is it, sir?" asked Mac, curiously.  
  
Admiral Chegwidden took a deep breath before replying. "One of the JAG officers has been shot." He said.  
  
"Who was it sir? Are they okay?" Mac began to worry. She began to have flashbacks of her terrible dream. She shivered. The Admiral stopped pacing the room.  
  
"It was Lt. Roberts, Sara." He used her first name fir the first time since she could remember knowing him. She gasped. "He's fine as far as we know." Said the Admiral. "It happened at his house. Lt. Sims spoke with him earlier, and after that, he requested leave…. I let him go."  
  
Mac almost choked hearing what the Admiral had said. "Sir, where is LT. Commander Rabb?" she asked.  
  
The Admiral shot her a strange look before he replied. "The Commander left for Lt. Robert's house five minutes ago." He said.  
  
Mac stood up quickly. "I have to leave now, sir." She said. "I request to take the rest of the day off."  
  
"But you just got back, Colonel.." protested the Admiral.  
  
"I know, sir!" argued Mac. "But this is important. I can be in early tomorrow morning…."  
  
"Ugh.." the Admiral grunted. "Okay, Colonel. But you'd better be waiting for me when I get here in the morning…"  
  
"Yes, sir!" Mac promised, quickly running from the room. She hurried to her car, grabbed her gun, and headed for the Robert's house.  
  
Harm's car was in the driveway, and so was Bud's. Mac shuddered. She quietly opened her door, and stalked up to the house.  
  
It seemed quiet from outside. Mac took a deep breath, and slowly began to open the door. Her hopes that she would be able to do this quietly were shattered when the door hinges creaked. She quickly hid herself, but remarkably, no one came running. She began to make her way through the house.  
  
There was nobody downstairs. She ascended the steps quickly, making no noise whatsoever. She checked every room as she made her way down the hallway. The last room on the hall was baby AJ's room. She poked her head in. Lying on the floor was Bud, bleeding heavily, but apparently alive. Standing in front of him was Harm. He had his gun raised, pointed at a tall man in a ski mask, black clothing, and steel toe boots. Mac remained quiet. It seemed the two men were playing a game of chicken: who was going to shoot first?  
  
Mac flashed back yet again to her terrible dream. She remembered Harm being shot, and all the grief. She gritted her teeth, and slid the door open. Harm's eyes grew wide in surprise. The shooter turned, stared at her, and decided to change who he was pointing his gun at.  
  
"Mac, what are you doing here?" yelled Harm. "How did you know where we were?"  
  
"I told you!" she said. "I told you that dream was trying to warn me! Look at you! Look at Bud!" She stared expectantly at her friend.  
  
Harm gulped. The man with the ski mask didn't know what to think. He kept turning from Mac to Harm and then back again, trying to figure the two of them out. He rested his gun in Mac's direction. Mac backed a step away. "What happens next?" asked Harm.  
  
"I don't know." Mac confessed. "This part wasn't in the dream."  
  
"Just put the gun down." Said the man in the mask, motioning towards Mac. She slowly put the gun down, not wanting to argue with the stranger. She looked in her partner's direction.  
  
Harm tensed up. He raised the gun higher. It was aimed directly at the man's head. The crazed man looked at him and smiled. "You don't put that gun down, and she's next." He warned. Harm's eyes grew wide. Mac was now on the floor, trying to help Bud. Harm began to put the gun down. The second he was a little off guard, the man in the ski mask shot him. Mac quickly retrieved Harm's gun, shooting the man in the ski mask. He fell and didn't move.  
  
She hovered over her two friends. Bud had obviously been shot some time ago, and a large amount of blood had collected where he lay. Harm was doubled over near him, holding his side. Mac grabbed for her cell phone, and dialed 911.  
  
"You okay?" she asked Harm. He shook his head, nodding towards Bud. Mac went over to him. "How you doing?" she asked.  
  
Bud took a deep breath and replied. "Peachy, ma'am." He smiled. "How is the Commander?" He nodded back in Harm's direction. Mac scooted back over to him.  
  
"Harm, I thought you promised me." She said. She waited for his response.  
  
"Sorry…" he whispered. "Didn't expect this."  
  
"You really should listen more, Flyboy." Mac smiled. "How you holding up?"  
  
"It hurts." Grimaced Harm.  
  
"The doctor's are on their way here." Mac smiled.  
  
"Good." He smiled. "But there's something I have to tell you, Mac…"  
  
"What?" she asked.  
  
"I didn't realize it until just then…" he said, "But I think I love you."  
  
Mac's heart skipped a beat as she heard the wonderful words. Tears welled up in her eyes. She smiled. "I love you too, Flyboy." She finally said. She sat there, just smiling, until she heard the sirens. It was then that she knew that everything would be alright. Now, and forever.  
  
What I really meant to say  
  
Is I'm dyin' here inside  
  
And I miss you more each day  
  
There's not a night I haven't cried  
  
And baby, here's the truth  
  
I'm still in love with you  
  
(And, that's what I really meant to say) 


End file.
